The standard joke in the Broncos building last year was the best quarterback in the building was not Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler or Paxton Lynch. It was Elway, and it had been years since he had led a touchdown drive.

Elway built a good defense, but could not fix his offense, regardless of how many QBs he had. The short lived Peyton Manning era was great, but there was no Tim Tebow coming to the rescue.

Elways turned the roster upside down, with some surprising deletions. Heavy duty running back CJ Anderson was axed, freeing up (4.5M). Longtime CB-Aqib Taleb and his (6.9M) contract and attitude was dispatched. Safety TJ Ward proceeded them out the door prior. All stunning deleteions

But Elway turned around and wrote 16M in checks to lure Case Keenum away from the Vikings to be their starting quarterback.

He went out and signed booming punter Marquette King, big leg, big personality, dispatched by the Raiders. Can you imagine 80-yard punts in Mile High Stadium?

He got a very good young safety-linebacker, Su’a Cravens, chopped by the Redskins, picked up in a trade for a draft pick.

He also added Tramaine Brock, a proven DB, and Jared Veldheer, a starting LT who was a high pick in Oakland.

Not a bad group of guys, with NFL experience, added to the equation.

Then come draft day, Brad Chubb, the top defensive lineman in the draft, the massive DE from North Carolina State dropped to him in the 5th slot. You put him on a defense that includes Von Miller, Derek Wolfe, and so much more speed, and a very good defense, got even better.

Elway wound up with 9-draft picks, and he made hay. Cortland Sutton was a big play receiver at SMU. Royce Freeman was the heavy duty running back at Oregon. Issac Yiadom was a very good CB at Boston College.

Denver thinks getting healthy along the offensive front will be of great help, and adding Keenum as part of 17-new players reporting to camp for OTA’s, is pretty significant.

Can you say bounce back season? Can you say return to glory years? Can you say Broncos football-pretty improved?

John Elway knows all about the history there, and now has laid the groundwork for the future.

They may be able to deliver in Denver, where the -Orange Crush of Expectation is about to be answered.